January 7, 2008

"One of the guy's Luntz interviewed explained how Mitt was obviously more credible on the pro-life issue than Mike Huckabee. I mean, I had no idea Mitt could do so well bamboozling these folks. Seriously, it was so surreal...."Josh Marshall marvels at that Frank Luntz focus group after last night's debate (which we talked about — and you can watch — here).

10 comments:

I have to admit, it takes a special kind of cluelessness to think that Romney is more credible than Huckabee on the right's abortion agenda. Romney may ultimately give the right everything it wants in this regard as part of his bargain to gain high office, but Huckabee is a true believer like Romney never has been.

When you read in today's Wall St. J. how swiftly and professionally both Romney and Clinton have both given themselves an image make-over, you know that we are all in a Philip K. Dick novel.

"After weeks of speaking in front of a massive American flag and aided only by the occasional PowerPoint slideshow, Mr. Romney took the stage "in the round," talking to people on all sides. Next to him hung a huge 11-point list titled "TO DO." The items on it ranged from "Make America Safer" (No. 1) to "Put people ahead of selfish interest" (No. 11). There were blank spaces at the end of the list, and Mr. Romney encouraged voters to help fill them in."

Can't you just see that rouged-up Vitalisy dude and his marker pen earnestly writing down ideas..."Yes, Mrs. Kowalski? Organic foods in schools? Very good, Mrs. Kowalski. Yes, ma'am! I will make that No. 16! on my Oval Office "To Do" list!"

I have a visceral dislike of focus groups when the focus group organization tries to sell its results as being representative of "jes folks". Not so, methinks. Focus group organizers & users, true believers as much so as any fundamentalist, have argued with me that I’m, um, out of touch, unscientific, etc. Pseudoscience, I reply.

One of my friends, retired with too much time on his hands, has wound up on focus groups in the mall at least twice recently. He's responsible for today's fashions!

BTW, I have a visceral dislike of people approaching me in the mall for whatever reason. Guess "once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker".